Merrick here...

Last week, we learned that Gary Ross was writing and maybe directing a movie based on VENOM (details HERE).

Now comes word, from The Playlist, that Ross's VENOM involvement may be impacted by his attachment to another project: a re-introduction/revitalization of MATT HELM.

...a source close to the project tells us a new director has his hands on the project — none other than Gary Ross, writer-director of "Pleasantville" and "Seabiscuit," who was recently attached to writing and potentially directing the Sony "Spider-Man" spin-off "Venom" (he had something to do with the "Spider-Man 4" script, too). But this source notes, "Venom" is a ways off and will have to wait, "Matt Helm," is coming first and is being scheduled to shoot in the summer of 2010 if all goes according to plan.

...reveals THIS ARTICLE at The Playlist.


In case you're not familiar with the Matt Helm character, A WIKI ENTRY describes him thusly:

The character appeared in 27 books over a 33-year period beginning in 1960 and established Helm as one of the most tough-minded, pragmatic, and competent of all fictional agents, whatever their roles. The series was noted for its between-books continuity, which was somewhat rare for the genre. In the later books, Helm's origins as a man of action in World War II disappeared and he became an apparently ageless character, a common fate of long-running fictional heroes."

Dean Martin played Helm in a series of not-particularly-faithful movie adaptations back in the 60s. Tony Franciosa portrayed the character in an equally unfaithful (and mercifully short-lived) 1975 TV series.

Matt Helm films & books can still be found via Amazon (HERE), and some of those Dean Martin movies are apparently available in their entirety via YouTube if you're interested.